People like Frein give preppers a bad name

I am a prepper. I always have been in some way, shape, or form. When I was a boy I joined the Boy Scouts, where our motto of "Be prepared" guided our very decision-making paradigm. When I graduated from high school, I served in the U.S. Coast Guard, where our espirit de corps of "Semper Paratus" (Latin for "always ready") molded myself and my shipmates into a team of responders able to tackle seemingly insurmountable odds.

When I left the military, I took my attitude toward preparedness with me. I went to college and got a bachelor's degree in emergency management. After I got married and had children, it was my responsibility to prepare my family for contingencies that we may face. I set up evacuation kits for every member of our family, and an emergency action plan so we can be ready. My wife and I have a supply of food, water, sundries and even a small amount of gold, silver and copper bullion. We each have our own gun and a few boxes of ammo. We could pull off a shelter-in-place order for well over a month without a single trip to grocery store or Wal-Mart for supplies.

You know what that makes me — smart. It gives me a sense of security knowing my family will have food and blankets when the going gets tough. It does not make me paranoid, a conspiracy theorist, a terrorist, an anti-cop or anti-government radical. People like Eric Frein, who live on the fringes of society, give preppers, and the idea of prepping, a bad name. We become generalized by people who do not understand our way of life. It can be difficult to wrap your head around the idea of stocking up on food and supplies when you live in the hustle and bustle of a big city.

Eric Frien's alleged crime was appalling and, if found guilty beyond a reasonable doubt, he deserves to be punished. The police officer he killed deserves justice. Society deserves to have its debt repaid. Yet, I will say, Eric Frien's run from the cops was quite impressive. One man was able to evade a search party that was at times over 1,000 people strong and included tracking dogs, helicopters, thermal imaging equipment and specially armored all-terrain vehicles. Not to mention having his picture plastered all over the news and every telephone pole and billboard in eastern Pennsylvania.

His specialty skill set and knowledge of the local area gave him a leg up over the pursuit. However, if Eric Frein gets the death penalty, I fear it will only add to the stereotyping of the preppers. His execution will send the message that society has no place for people like him. People like him meaning cop killers and terrorists. But people see this individual as a paranoid, authority-hating monster who had a skill set of paramilitary training and survival skills, so anyone with those same skills must be bad or at least not to be trusted.

According to the evening news, Eric Frien's father served as an officer in the Army. This obviously had a major influence on his son, since the most famous picture of Eric Frien has him dressed in a military-style uniform, brandishing a gun. His father had told investigators that he taught his son how to shoot a gun and was quoted saying "he doesn't miss."

Perhaps in his upbringing there should have been less focus on marksmanship and more about the Army's value system of honor, integrity and respect. Eric Frien could have been a great asset to this nation. If he had joined the military, he could have been one of our greatest defenders; instead he chose to become one of our most dangerous criminals.